Birds of a Feather
by Chellendora
Summary: As Frodo cast the Ring into the fires he and the Fellowship found themselves taken into a strange world. Here, they will fight creatures called Darkspawn with the Grey Wardens to the end, where the Archdemon will bring about salvation for all.ABANDONED.
1. The One Ring

_**Birds of a Feather**_

**Chapter One: **The One Ring

"What are you waiting for, Mr. Frodo? _Destroy it!_"

He didn't understand. It called to him. How could he destroy something that could protect him? Something that had never done him any harm…

He clutched the chain. No, it was all a trick. He had seen what it did to Smeagol. He didn't want to become that way, his mind lost. What had the last year been for but to destroy this evil? How many people had died so that _he_, a hobbit from the Shire, could stand on this cliff and plunge the Ring into the fires from whence it came? How many people counted on him?

Slowly, he turned to face his companion. "No, Sam," he said quietly. It was a miracle the other hobbit was able to hear him over the roar of the lava river far below them and the cries and shrieks of the thousands of orcs surrounding Mordor. "The Ring is mine."

"What are you saying?" Sam looked at him in disbelief, getting a sinking feeling that made him feel sick. He had to swallow a few times before he could finally say, "It's the Ring talking. Destroy it!"

Frodo didn't seem to hear him. He undid the chain and slowly, gingerly, removed the ring from it. He held it out, his eyes wide as he regarded its golden splendor, the beauty. Slowly, almost reverently, he moved to put the ring on.

"No, Mr. Frodo, _don't_!" Sam cried but it was too late. Frodo slipped the ring on and immediately disappeared, just as Bilbo Baggins had done at his birthday party, the night all of this had begun. He looked to the ground, trying to see if he could see Frodo's footsteps in the ash. He finally saw movement, and went to move forward, but was suddenly knocked onto his hands and knees by a force from behind.

He looked up to see Gollum leaping over his head from his back and onto the invisible Frodo. The hobbit yelled, wrestling with the creature as Sam watched in horror. He was afraid to intervene because he might cause Frodo to fall over the side of the cliff face, but at the same time if he didn't intervene Gollum may cause them both to fall over anyway, or get the ring and get away.

Sam struggled to his feet and moved forward just as Gollum clamped down on Frodo with his teeth. In a manner of seconds, Frodo was visible again and on the ground, clutching a profusely bleeding hand. Gollum spit out half of a finger, of Frodo's finger, and held up the ring.

"_My preciouss…you're mine! Mine!_" he yelled and began to dance with glee.

Frodo grit his teeth against the pain and rolled onto his stomach. He pushed himself up onto his knees and stood slowly. Gollum didn't notice as he began to slowly advance on the grotesque creature. When he got close enough, he grabbed Gollum's wrists and they once again began to wrestle for the ring.

Sam watched, his heart pounding against his ribs. Frodo was going to die for that ring.

But he was wrong. With a great shove Gollum went over the side of the cliff, and with a horrid scream began to fall, but not before he got a grip on Frodo's shirt. He pulled him over the side as well.

Sam was vaguely aware of his scream as he ran forward; reaching out as though he could somehow catch Frodo. When he reached the side his breath hitched in his throat. Frodo had caught the cliff face and was hanging there over the fires, but still alive. Sam watched with disgust and revulsion as Gollum melted into the lava, but he didn't have time to watch. He dropped to his knees and reached his hand out to Frodo.

"Grab my hand, Mr. Frodo!" he called, stretching his short arm as far as it could go and beyond. Frodo went to grab at his hand but the blood on it made his grasp slippery and he lost hold.

"Leave, Sam!" Frodo yelled. He'd done what he was meant to do. He could just die now, in peace.

"No, grab my hand!" Sam cried out earnestly, desperate to save his friend.

Frodo considered for a few moments and finally grabbed a hold of his hand.

As he did, Sam pulled hard and soon Frodo was back on solid ground. Just as they turned to look over the cliff a bright flash of light erupted from the chasm. They heard a loud, ringing sound so shrill it hurt their ears.

With cries of surprise that they couldn't hear over the din they began to feel themselves lifted into the air. Then everything went quiet. It was so quiet that it seemed to press in all around them. All they could see was white. No shadows, nothing but white but they were sure their eyes were open. Had they died anyway? Had Mordor been destroyed along with the ring?

They were lifted higher and suddenly they heard sounds again. Birds crying, the sound of sluggishly flowing water, the squelch of mud…then they were dropped and everything went black.

x x x

Frodo was the first to awake. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting a bright flash of light, but it was late in the day and the sky was cloudy. He slowly pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, his muscles aching. He must have hit the ground pretty hard. He sat back on his haunches and looked around.

He was in a swamp. In all directions he could only see an eerie fog that blanketed the ground. There were no animals, no wind whistling through the trees; the air was still and stagnant.

He looked to his left to see Sam lying face down in a shallow pool of muddy water. Alarmed, he scrambled over to him and immediately rolled him over, pulling him onto dry land.

"Sam! Sam!" he cried, shaking the hobbit, but he received no response.

"He must have swallowed too much water," Frodo thought and immediately began vigorously pumping his chest. After some time Sam began to cough and sputter. He made to roll over but couldn't quite get himself up, so Frodo took his arm and adjacent shoulder and helped him. He turned his head away as his companion dispensed of the swamp water and chunks of algae that had been in his body.

Once his heaving subsided, Sam was able to sit up on his own. He was slightly out of breath and pale, shivering from the cold. After a few moments of recovering, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Frodo. I could have drowned."

"I'm glad that you didn't." He was relieved. Now that one crisis was averted, the next could be addressed. "Do you remember what happened, Sam?"

The hobbit looked thoughtful for some time. He chewed on his lower lip as he racked his brain for the memory. "You and Gollum were fighting over the Ring…and he fell over the side."

"With the Ring?" Frodo asked, feeling a painful, longing pang in his stomach. He tried to ignore it.

Sam only nodded. "You almost fell in, too, Mr. Frodo."

"But you saved me." Frodo's memory was coming back to him now. He had been fighting Gollum for possession of the Ring when he should have already destroyed it. "It seems that we've been transported somewhere…"

"Do you believe the others came as well?" Sam asked, looking hopeful.

"I couldn't say," Frodo said doubtfully. After all, they had been the only ones there when it happened. Frodo may have actually been the only one intended to go, but because Sam had been clutching his wrist he was brought along as well.

A silence fell over the companions. Sam observed their surroundings, and didn't like what he saw. The swamp felt dangerous, cold, and unlimited. Goosebumps rose up on his arms and he rubbed at them to no avail.

"Sitting here won't do us any good," Frodo finally said. He stood and brushed himself off.

Sam did the same, taking another quick glance around. "But where do we go?"

"That's a good question."

They began to walk through the swamp, heading towards higher ground so that they could see more of the area, and hopefully decide what to do from there.

x x x

"This swamp is a helpless maze," Gimli complained. "We'll turn to dust before we get out of here."

"Have faith, my dwarven friend," Gandalf said calmly. Of all of them he was the calmest. He suspected what happened to them had something to do with magic or the Ring; possibly both. The others had had less experience with the before mentioned.

"I must agree with Gimli," Legolas commented warily. "Even my senses seem to have lost their tact here."

Gimli smirked behind his bushy red beard. "What's the matter, elf? No squirrels or tree frogs to chat with?"

Legolas chose to ignore his comment.

"Do you think Frodo is here too?" Pippin asked, looking up at Gandalf. Way up.

"And Sam?" Merry added hopefully.

Gandalf was about to answer when he noticed tracks ahead of them, the first they had seen. Upon further inspection he found them to be human-like in appearance, but large, like a hobbit's feet. "I would wager they are."

Aragorn took the lead now, carefully following the tracks so as not to ruin them or lose them. The rest of the party followed the ranger at a distance. Aragorn deftly climbed to the top of a cliff-like hill where he stopped and simply stared down at the ground before him.

"What is it?" Legolas asked as the rest reached him.

They looked to ground where he pointed. The foot prints had turned to skid marks, and a third pair of tracks had appeared, these small and shoed then giving way to sharp holes punched into the ground as if made by a sharp spear being stabbed into the ground over and over again.

"They were dragged," Aragorn stated. He lifted his head to look in the same direction. "Smoke!"

True enough, a thin wisp of smoke curled into the air, its location beyond the next hill. It was hard to distinguish it from the immobile fog, but it was certainly there.

"They've been kidnapped!" Merry exclaimed in alarm.

"We must advance with care," Gandalf warned.

He received silent agreements. Resting a hand on Merry's shoulder for reassurance, he and the rest of the party continued forth.

x x x

Sam sniffled next to Frodo, and he found himself wishing he wouldn't show fear in front of this woman. Though, he couldn't blame him; he feared her as well.

At first glance she seemed to be nothing more than an old woman, but Frodo had felt something from her…something that put him on edge and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up; something evil.

His intuition had been proved correct when she turned into a large black widow spider. He and Sam had tried to run but were caught up by the spider's fangs and dragged away. Even now Frodo could feel the blood dripping down his back and a hot, burning sensation creeping through his veins; a not unfamiliar experience that brought back unfortunate and painful memories of Ring Wraiths.

The two hobbits were tied to a post outside a small, worn down shack. The witch had disappeared inside and Sam had then voiced his fears of being eaten alive. In front of them a large fire with a black cauldron, large enough to fit a hobbit or two, was filled with water and beginning to boil. It certainly did look like they were going to be eaten. But that was too horrible…Then again, she had turned into a spider.

If only she hadn't taken Sting! He was helpless to do anything but glower while she stripped them of all but their clothes and then took their things into her home. They restlessly awaited her return, shifting and straining against their rope bonds.

The sun was beginning to set when she did emerge. She checked the fire and stirred whatever was in the cauldron before turning to the hobbits. Her expression revealed nothing of her thoughts as she regarded them, the tips of her fingers pressed together thoughtfully.

"What are you?" she asked, cocking her head ever so slightly.

"W-we're hobbits," Sam stuttered out and then swallowed.

"Hobbits?" The woman laughed loudly and mirthlessly. "What in Thedas are _hobbits_?"

"Thedas?" Frodo spoke up, temporarily forgetting his fear of the witch. "Where are we?"

She looked wickedly amused. "Do you not know where you are?"

Cautiously, the hobbits shook their heads.

"You're in Fereldan, an old country in Thedas," the woman explained, beginning to pace. She still seemed to be very amused and that worried the two friends. "But first you should take this potion for your bites." She reached into her old, tattered apron and pulled out a small vial filled with a vicious pink liquid. She walked over and forced half of the contents down each of the hobbits' throats and then stepped back. As she went to go back to the house she stopped, turning to look the other way. "Ah, it seems your friends are finally arriving."

"Our friends?" Sam asked, but before any more could be said they heard rustling behind them. The woman was now watching over them, back towards the swamp from whence they came.

Aragorn moved into the area slowly, his sword raised. Legolas and Gimli were not far behind, flanking him and keeping their eyes peeled for trouble. Gandalf was protecting the two hobbits, keeping them closely behind him.

The witch seemed to be getting impatient as she watched the intruders. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. After a stare down lasting a few moments she sighed irritably and said, "Well, if you're going to crash the party, do it all the way."

Gandalf stepped forward now, raising a hand to signal peace. "Dear woman, we just came to see after our friends."

"I know." She looked at the hobbits, smiling fondly as if they were her new pets. Sam shivered. "I was just telling them where they are."

"If you would be so kind," Gandalf said, cautiously approaching, "we would be curious to know that as well."

"Tell your fools to put away their toys and I will," the old woman replied stiffly. She looked offended.

Gandalf turned to Aragorn to give him a pointed look. Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword and raised his hand to signal for Legolas and Gimli to do the same.

"As I was telling these…hobbits, you're in Thedas. A world I suspect to be much different from the one you are used to." She glared at Aragorn when he attempted to interrupt, and the continued, "The country is Fereldan. You'll find it in turmoil." She once again looked amused. "Creatures known as Darkspawn are sweeping across the land, killing and spreading their taint."

"Sounds like orcs," Frodo thought.

"I have seen that you will join this fight," she said. "I am Flemeth. I am a mage."

"A witch, then?" Gimli said with a snarl. "We shouldn't trust the rambling of an old witch."

"Oh, just an old witch, am I?" Flemeth snickered. "So be it. You'll soon find me to be right." She paced over to the fire, stirring the cauldron. "Soup?" she offered. No one accepted.

"How have we gotten here?" Gandalf asked, opting to be the reasonable one.

"I would say it was some old magic." She turned to the two hobbits still tied to the pole. "What happened to you prior to your arrival here?"

Frodo tried to look over at Gandalf, but he was too far back for him to see him. He turned back to Flemeth and swallowed. "I threw a ring into the fire. It was…"

"It was an evil ring," Sam finished for Frodo. "It was the only way to destroy it."

Flemeth smiled, her visage showing clearly that she knew. "Then it was this ring."

"This is ridiculous!" Gimli growled, stepping forward. He rounded on the witch. "You release those two hobbits and we won't kill you."

"Gimli," Aragorn warned calmly, though he didn't take his eyes from the witch. "We really should be on our way, however."

Flemeth responded by turning from the cauldron and walking into her hut. She returned with Frodo and Sam's things and untied the hobbits. "Very well, but I warn you. Heed my words." She looked straight at Gandalf, seeming to know he would be the sensible one. "Seek out the ones that call themselves Grey Wardens. Help them in their quest. In return, you will find that what you seek will also be achieved."

"One last question, dear lady," Gandalf said, trying to placate the woman. "How is that all of us, and no one else, were transported to this world?"

Flemeth shrugged. "You must have some kind of bond that this old ring recognized. I would have to know more of your world's old magic to say for sure."

"The Fellowship," Pippin and Merry whispered in unison. Gandalf nodded his agreement.

"A nutter, that one," Gimli muttered as the group left the area, following the way by a map the witch had provided.

"Are we to believe her words?" Aragorn asked, looking to Gandalf.

Gandalf considered for a moment, studying the map and then the surrounding area. "What more do we have to go on?" he said. The others found his words to be true, and the group continued on in silence. Their first task, at least, was to escape the swamp alive.

x x x

**Author's Note: **There you go, the first installment of my crossover between Lord of the Rings and Dragon Age. There will seem to be some dumbing down of the Lord of the Rings characters as Tolkien wrote much more eloquently than I or the writers for Dragon Age. Thedas also seems to be almost…innocent compared to Middle Earth. However, this isn't a completely serious fanfiction, mostly for fun. I hope you enjoy and please, leave no flames. They will just be a waste of your time. :D


	2. The Grey Warden

_**Birds of a Feather**_

**Chapter Two: **The Grey Warden

The camp was almost silent, definitely more so than earlier when the darkspawn shrieks had attacked. The youngest Grey Warden, Lenora, sat just outside her tent, working with a knife to make more arrows. In the neighboring tent she could hear snores. It seems that the silent qunari warrior Sten was not so quiet in his sleep. She smiled to herself, pausing in her work to look into the fire.

She raised her eyebrows when she noticed that she was being watched. She hadn't noticed while she was working. She felt ashamed; her people would have been disappointed in her carelessness. Through the flickering flames she could see the senior Grey Warden, Alistair, watching her.

"Is something the matter, Alistair?" she asked, pushing a lock of copper hair behind her ear.

Alistair started, looking around nervously now that he had been caught. "Oh, um, no…I was just…thinking, you know."

Lenora smirked a little at his discomfort. He was such an awkward man. She patted the log next to her, beckoning him to come sit beside her. After a moment's hesitation, he did.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked, going back to making arrows. She was very short on arrows.

Alistair wrung his hands, not having anything to keep him busy. "I'm…unsettled."

"That is not a foreign concept to me," Lenora said with a small smile.

Alistair was intrigued. "Oh?"

Lenora shook her head. "No, I mean it in a different context from you. What is unsettling you, Alistair?"

"The shriek attack," Alistair said quietly, as if he didn't want the camp to hear in case it caused alarm. However, most of the camp, except for the apostate Morrigan and the stone golem Shale, were asleep. "Even our camp is no longer safe now."

Lenora sighed, once again pausing in her work. She looked over at Alistair, her eyes worried. "We have really drawn the attention of the darkspawn." She looked to the fire, enjoying its beauty. "It is troubling, but we still have time."

Before Alistair could comment further, Lenora's large Mabari warhound bounded up to them, a stick in his mouth. No, not a stick, Alistair thought, but a whole damn tree limb. The dog wagged his short tail in excitement, dropping it at Lenora's feet.

She smiled fondly at her companion and scratched him behind the ears. "Next time, bring me the head of a Hurlock, Feyr." The dog barked in response and then curled up at her feet, chewing noisily on his prize.

"Your hound is…very fond of you," Alistair observed, a bit nervous around the dog. After all, he had seen this dog tear the heads off darkspawn and then go for more. He was as much a Grey Warden as his master.

"The tribe leader gave him to me when I was first beginning my training," Lenora said as she watched the dog fondly. "He was trained to fight along with me, so when Duncan recruited me, he recruited Feyr as well."

Alistair chewed on his lower lip, uncertain if he should ask the question that was at the forefront of his mind.

He should have known that the hunter next to him would pick up on his gesture and guess what was wrong.

"What do you want to ask me, Alistair?"

"I was just wondering how Duncan recruited you. I mean…he saved me from the Templars," Alistair swallowed. "If it's something you don't want to talk about…" He knew all too well that many Grey Wardens were recruited instead of being arrested or executed, and he wasn't sure if that was the case with her or not.

Lenora smiled ruefully at the memory. "He…spared me from death." She picked up her work again, more vigorously making the arrow now. She finished it and began another before continuing. "I crossed a Lord in Denerim. I should never have come down from the Frostbacks, I knew that I wouldn't be able to integrate into this culture. But I was too curious, and too tired of the _unsettled_ and dirty life of an Avvar."

"You did smell rather bad when Duncan introduced us…" Alistair trailed off.

Lenora spun on him, giving him an angry glare. Alistair held his hands up in defense, smiling nervously. "Much improved now, though!" he amended.

Lenora continued to glare, and then suddenly laughed. "It's all right, Alistair. I know that I did not smell half as bad you do."

"Oh, well—," Alistair stopped and narrowed his eyes as realization dawned on him. "_Hey._"

Lenora laughed again, this time much harder. His face was too comical.

"Must you lovebirds gab on so? 'Tis most rude to us who are trying to recuperate."

Lenora stopped laughing and joined Alistair as they looked up. Before them stood Morrigan, her arms crossed over her nearly bare chest. She looked angry, but she always seemed to look angry.

"You need to recuperate? I thought you just snuck off to find children to eat."

"Alistair," Lenora hissed under her breath, giving her friend a warning glance. She knew that the two did not care too much for each other, but they were still on the same team.

"What is it you need, Morrigan?" Lenora asked before she could respond to Alistair.

The apostate forgot him and turned to the female Grey Warden. Apparently her quarry was too important to spare a quip for Alistair at the moment. "I need to speak with you." She then added, with a quick glance at Alistair, "_Alone._"

Lenora nodded, a foreboding feeling beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. She set aside her arrows, realizing that at this rate she would never get many arrows finished, and stood to follow Morrigan.

They walked over to where she preferred to set up camp. She had her own small fire and a tent off to the side away from the others, to preserve her privacy. Lenora had tried on several occasions to have her join the others at the camp, but she had only done so occasionally to eat meals and then returned to her own.

She stood in front of her tent and turned around to face the pale Grey Warden. How much they differed, she thought. She was so dark compared to the Avvar, who was pale and covered in freckles. Her copper colored hair fell to her waist, usually with her bangs bound back away from her face, the rest flowing freely. Her eyes were a pale blue, almost translucent. She also wasn't near as thin as the Avvar, who was lanky and tall. It made it easier for her to be stealthy, she guessed.

"Do you remember the Grimoire that you gave to me?" Morrigan asked.

Lenora nodded her head, the ominous feeling growing. "Yes…Did you find out your mother's secrets?"

"Well, I…" Morrigan shifted, looking uncomfortable. "'Tis…most discomforting."

Lenora tilted her head to the side, her brow knit in confusion. "What is?"

"You know the stories, yes? That she is immortal? It seems that that is not so." Morrigan sighed, looking away. "She has been raising girls like me for years. When their powers are close enough to hers, she takes over their body so that she may be young again."

Lenora stepped back in alarm, her mouth gaping. "What? Th-that's sick!"

Morrigan didn't comment. She sighed, and continued, "I find myself in the most uncomfortable position of needing to ask you for a favor, Warden."

Lenora nodded, though she was unsure what she was resigning herself too. "Of course, Morrigan. I'll do what I can."

Morrigan was touched by the sentiment, but unsure how to deal with such an emotion, so she simply ignored it. She pushed it down deep and straightened her back, looking proud. "I need you to obtain Flemeth's Grimoire for me. The knowledge I would gain from it would be substantial." She paused, and then added, "You would also be stopping her from continuing this…_tradition._"

Lenora smiled ruefully. She knew Morrigan was trying to appeal to her sense of justice as a Grey Warden, a sense she had only recently began to develop. "Say no more, except what I need to do."

"To get her Grimoire, you will have to kill her."

"Kill her?" Lenora swallowed, unsure. "But, she is the woman that raised you. Are you sure—?"

"The woman raised me to use me," Morrigan said through her teeth, and then swallowed hard. "I will understand if you don't wish to do this for me, Lenora…"

That was the first time Morrigan had ever called her by her name. Lenora shook her head, clenching a fist as if that would steel her against what she must do. "I will do this."

The tension drained from Morrigan, her shoulders slumping forward in relief. "Thank you." She immediately replaced her relief with strength, letting the moment of vulnerability pass. "I cannot come with you. Surely if I do she will know my intent and disappear, possibly with the Grimoire."

Lenora reached out and placed a hand on Morrigan's shoulder, feeling the woman tense at her touch. She ignored it, however, and looked her straight in the eyes. "I will get the Grimoire for you."

Morrigan nodded, humbled. "You can return to your cheese-smelling prince now."

Lenora felt the heat rush to her face and jerked her hand away, clasping it behind her back. "Alistair is merely a friend, nothing more!"

Morrigan chuckled. "I was only teasing. 'Tis what friends do, no?"

Lenora looked at Morrigan in surprise, and then her face softened into a smile. "Yes, it is."

x x x


	3. Collision

Birds of a Feather

_Chapter Three: __**Collision**_

_**They decided that it would be best to take only a small party into the Korcari Wilds. Alistair would go, since he had gone with Lenora for her task to become a Grey Warden, and he had also been around Flemeth as much as the Avvar hunter. Wynne was also elected to go, her spells of healing assumed to be much needed in the coming battle, because Lenora knew Flemeth was not going to go down without a fight. Zevran volunteered to join the small party, and although the Grey Warden had thought Sten more suitable because of his physical strength, she could not ignore the elf's superb Antivan assassin techniques. **_

"_**Are we ready?" Lenora asked of her companions.**_

_**Alistair and Wynne nodded as Zevran said, "As we'll ever be."**_

_**Before Lenora could respond, Feyr came running through the camp, bowling over Alistair to get to his master. He sat in front of her, wagging his tail in excitement. **_

"_**You should stay here, Feyr. We don't know what to expect."**_

_**Feyr barked in protest.**_

_**Lenora sighed, but smiled warmly at her furry companion. "There's no arguing with you, is there?"**_

_**Feyr barked again, wagging his tail in earnest once more. Lenora scratched him behind the ear and then stood. She looked to her waiting companions, who nodded, and then they were off.**_

_**x x x**_

_**It took only half a day to reach the unpleasantly familiar swamp. The unsettling fog wafted in and as they drew closer to Flemeth's hut it became thicker.**_

"_**This is…quite cheery," Zevran said from behind Lenora.**_

"_**Oh yes, it's all butterflies and rainbows," Alistair muttered sarcastically.**_

"_**It may be wise not to speak so loudly as we travel these parts," Wynne interjected. "There are even more darkspawn now than before the Battle of Ostagar."**_

"_**Wait," Lenora said and stopped walking. "The darkspawn are acting strangely." She looked to Alistair, the only other who would be able to confirm her statement.**_

_**Alistair looked confused, but his hesitation to respond told her that he was reaching out with his mind, joining it with the darkspawn to feel what they felt. "They're stirred up, and they're congregating."**_

"_**Have they already found us?" Wynne asked, her cool demeanor showing no fear.**_

"_**They're moving away from us," Lenora said. She had two fingers pressed to her temple, her eyes closed in concentration. "They're after something it seems."**_

"_**Perhaps this is more important than Morrigan's quest, no?"**_

"_**If people are being hunted by darkspawn, surely that is more important," Wynne added thoughtfully.**_

_**Lenora chewed on her bottom lip as she considered her options. Wynne was right of course; if people were being attacked by darkspawn then it was her duty as a Grey Warden to assist. But she had to think, what kind of people would willingly be in the Korcari Wilds; especially now that the Blight had reached as far north as Lothering?**_

_**But it wouldn't sit well with her to just ignore this anomaly in darkspawn behavior.**_

"_**Come on," she said and everyone knew her decision. They readied their weapons, and with Lenora and Alistair leading the way, they changed direction.**_

_**x x x**_

"_**We're lost, aren't we?" Merry asked, standing beside Pippin as he looked up at Gandalf.**_

_**The wizard no longer had the map. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were currently arguing over where they were on the map and which way to go. The ancient parchment was in danger of being torn down the middle.**_

"_**And how do you know we are not here?" Legolas asked, looking irritated as he looked down at Gimli.**_

"_**Because, the path we are on does not turn in that manner," Gimli growled back.**_

"_**This map could be several years old, and it doesn't appear that these paths are traveled very often," Aragorn reasoned.**_

"_**There aren't any landmarks either," Legolas added, looking back at the map and scanning it quickly with his eyes.**_

"_**I am a dwarf!" Gimli protested. "Dwarves are born with a keen sense of direction!"**_

_**Frodo had been standing by Sam and the other hobbits, waiting to see what decision his companions would come to. He felt compelled to help, he had been chosen as the one to bear the burden of the ring to Mordor, after all. But the ring was gone—at least he thought it was—and now he was just another hobbit.**_

_**A changed hobbit, a more world weary hobbit, but still just a hobbit. So he resisted the urge to intervene, and stood to the side, not saying anything to anyone.**_

_**That went out the window when a cold chill ran up his spine. He felt himself grow colder, though there was sweat on his brow from the amount of traveling they had accomplished on that day. He felt that they were being watched. He turned to say as such to someone, but everyone was distracted by the argument over the map. He looked around, thinking he could maybe catch sight of the person—or thing—that was watching them, and just saw the disappearance of a face from under the roots of a large tree atop the hill in front of them. He swallowed hard.**_

_**x x x**_

_**The sound of voices first alerted Lenora. She held up a fist to signal to her party to stop. Very silently, she called on all her skills as an Avvar hunter, and climbed the hill before her. A large tree with spindly roots stood at the top, leaning forward until it seemed it would fall at any given moment.**_

_**Feyr immediately understood that a hunt was on. He followed Lenora at a distance, sniffing for trails. When his master disappeared into the roots of the old tree, he crouched outside, low to the ground and still.**_

_**Down the steep side of the hill, Lenora spied a group that was as strange, if not more so, as her own band of travelers. Eight men stood together, consulting an old, yellowing scroll that must have been a map. She recognized two humans, one being an old mage. There was an elf, much taller than she had ever seen one grow, and perhaps five dwarves. Four of the dwarves looked very different from any dwarf she had seen; their lack of copious amounts of facial hair and abnormally large feet was strange. Oghren would have made a comment along the line of, "Must be nug-humpers."**_

_**One of the dwarves was looking around, looking paler than he had moments before. He may have sensed her somehow—though she wasn't sure how he could do that, especially if he was a dwarf. Regardless, she needed to report to her fellows. She ducked out of the roots almost as soon as the dwarf looked up. They met eyes for only a moment before she disappeared.**_

_**She quietly rushed down the hill, Feyr on her heels.**_

"_**What did you see?" Wynne asked when she had stopped before them.**_

"_**There are eight men," Lenora began, and told them everything she had observed. "They're a strange group—that could be why the darkspawn are attracted."**_

"_**Is it possible the darkspawn have mistaken them for us?" Zevran asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.**_

_**Alistair shook his head. "Darkspawn are mindless followers of the Archdemon. They would not be actively searching for us."**_

"_**Plus, Alistair and I feel like fellow darkspawn to them."**_

"_**Regardless, we need to warn them," Wynne said.**_

_**Everyone looked at each with worried expressions, but Wynne was right. Just because their group was strange and was standing in the middle of the Korcari Wilds didn't mean they shouldn't be warned of possible attack. And the fact that they were consulting a map meant they were lost. How many lost travelers had fallen prey to the darkspawn in these swamps? They had the chance to save at least eight.**_

"_**Let's go," Lenora said. But as she turned away, a battle cry went up and they were rushed from three sides.**_

_**In moments, Lenora had her crossbow notched and fired at the man running at her. She caught him in the shoulder and he stumbled back, but soon recovered and continued to rush her. When he got too close, she used the butt of her crossbow to bash him in the forehead, and he stumbled, falling back into the mud.**_

_**Zevran locked blades with the tall elf, sparks flying at the contact. "Touché," Zevran said as the two pushed their blades together as hard as they could, trying to break the other's defense.**_

_**Alistair was bowled over by the charging dwarf, and would have lost his head from the raised axe if Wynne hadn't stunned the dwarf with a spell. He stood stock still, frozen in place. All he could do was growl from his throat.**_

"_**Stop!" Lenora cried, keeping her eyes on the man as he recovered. "We are not here to fight you!"**_

"_**Then tell your man to back off," the tall elf said through clenched teeth, dangerously calm eyes glaring into Zevran.**_

_**Zevran glared right back, but he had an impish smirk on his face. He was enjoying the confrontation. "After you."**_

"**After you**_**, Zevran," Lenora growled at him. The Antivan Crow sighed and stepped back, giving a fantastic flourish of his blade before returning it to its sheath.**_

_**Lenora turned and held her hand out to the man, offering to help him up. "I'm sorry, we never intended to fight you."**_

_**The man ignored her offer of help and stood on his own, brushing himself off. "Who are you?"**_

_**Lenora placed her hand on the top of her hound's head. "I am Lenora, a Grey Warden. These are my friends, Alistair, Zevran, and Wynne." She gestured to each in turn. When she gestured to Wynne she realized that the dwarf was still immobilized. "Er—Wynne, please remove that spell."**_

"_**Oh, all right," Wynne replied and obliged the Warden, albeit a bit reluctantly.**_

"_**Grey Warden?" the man asked and exchanged a glance with the tall elf. **_

"_**That old woman told us to seek them out, but it seems they have found us," the elf said.**_

_**Lenora raised an eyebrow in confusion. As she opened her mouth to ask what they meant and who had sent them, the four dwarves and old mage came around the hill to join them.**_

"_**Oh good, nobody is dead," Gandalf said calmly. He stopped in front of Lenora and looked down at her. He was a tall, lanky man. "I am sorry about that."**_

_**Lenora shook her head to dismiss it, her mind still on what the man had said. "What old woman? Who sent you to find us?"**_

"_**She called herself Flemeth," Gandalf replied. "She was quite an old witch."**_

"**Flemeth!**_**" Alistair exclaimed. "She just can't leave us alone, can she?"**_

"_**She's very eager to help, it seems," Lenora said, but the tone of her voice showed that she didn't truly believe that. "First she sends us her daughter, now eight more people."**_

"_**You know this witch?" the tall elf replied.**_

"_**I do," Lenora replied, looking up at him. It unnerved her to have to look **_**up**_** to an elf. She was so used to them being her height or only a bit taller. "Who exactly are all of you?"**_

"_**I am Gandalf the White," the wizard replied. He then gestured to each of his fellows in turn. "These four are Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry. That is Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli."**_

"_**I've never seen dwarves that looked like you," Alistair said to the four hairless dwarves.**_

_**The one called Pippin puffed up with indignation. "We aren't **_**dwarves**_**," he proclaimed.**_

"_**Yeah," piped in Merry, "we're **_**hobbits!**_**"**_

"_**What in the Maker's name is a **_**hobbit?**_**"**_

"_**You don't know what a hobbit is?" Legolas asked, looking curious.**_

"_**This is a different world, Legolas," Gandalf said. "Hobbits may not exist here."**_

"_**But it appears dwarves do, showing the fertility of my race!" Gimli roared proudly. Lenora found the dwarf to remind her very much of Oghren, albeit more noble.**_

"_**There are men here as well," Aragorn amended. "As well as elves." He looked at Zevran and Lenora in turn.**_

_**Gimli grunted in reply and said nothing else.**_

_**Lenora ignored the conversation and approached the mage. "A different world? Where are you from?"**_

"_**That is a long tale—"**_

"_**Lenora, the darkspawn!" Alistair suddenly exclaimed, pulling his sword from its sheath.**_

_**Lenora pulled her crossbow from her back and Feyr began to growl. She looked to their new companions. "We can discuss this at our camp, but right now, we fight."**_

_**She turned and fired into the first line of the horde as it rushed at them, the smell of rotting flesh and bad blood filling the air.**_

_**x x x**_


	4. Missing

_**Birds of a Feather**_

**Chapter Four:**

Upon returning to camp, Lenora immediately explained the circumstances of why Flemeth was still alive. She listened with her arms crossed over her chest and when the Avvar had finished speaking she made a "tch" sound and that was the end of the conversation.

Lenora sighed and returned to the group. Everyone save Morrigan, Bodahn, and Sandal were surrounding the newcomers. They were all asking questions and their guests felt hard-pressed to answer every one. Wynne was enraptured in a conversation with Gandalf, Gimli with Oghren, and Zevran and Legolas were eyeing each other warily.

"We need a course of action," Alistair said to Lenore as she came to stand beside him.

"We need to fully understand what is going on first," Lenora replied as she watched the newcomers mingle with her comrades. "This is unprecedented. Have you ever seen people like them?" She gestured to the Hobbits. "Or an elf that tall?"

"The similarities are just as striking," answered Alistair. "He looks like any other dwarf, and he any man." He gestured to Gimli and Aragorn in turn.

"The older man could easily pass as a mage from the Circle…" Lenora crossed her arms over her chest. "But their weapons are made of material I don't recognize."

"We can't rule out the possibility that Flemeth has something to do with this," Alistair said. It was obvious that the thought disturbed him.

Lenora patted him on the arm comfortingly. "It's time we got some answers." She stepped forward ad raised up her hand to get their attention. Once everyone was quiet and turned to her, she looked at Gandalf. "Obviously this isn't you world, but the similarities are striking. Please start at the beginning of your tale, and then we will return the favor."

They all sat around the fire as it was growing dark and cool. The Hobbit by the name of Frodo sat next to Gandalf. Together they told the story of the Ring and of its birthplace in Mordor. They described many of the hardships they had gone through because of the Ring. They described the creatures known as orcs, a description that caused Lenora and Alistair alarm; they sounded very much like darkspawn. Frodo completed the tale with his own inner battle in Mordor that finally ended with the destruction, or so he thought, of that accursed ring.

"It was in that moment that we were sent here," he said.

"Somehow magic in that ring was connected to this world," Wynne said. "When it was destroyed, the magic was released."

"That's a good explanation, but who put it there?" Alistair asked. "And why this world?"

"Could it have been that mage—wizard, sorry—that you spoke off? Sorry-man?" Lenora asked, struggling with the name.

Gandalf contemplated the possibility for some time before shaking his head. "I have known Saruman for a long time. He was capable of much, but inter-dimensional travel was not among his abilities."

"Someone on this side, then?" Zevran suggested. He was sitting next to Legolas, who looked much more elegant and savant. His height dwarfed the elf assassin even when sitting.

"Who could have that kind of power? An apostate?" Alistair asked, looking to Wynne for the answer.

"This is hurtin' mah head," Oghren growled and stumbled away from the circle to go collapse beside of his tent.

"Excuse him," Lenora said with a sigh.

"For what?" Gimli questioned. "This is hurting my head too."

"Doesn't take much," Legolas cut in quickly.

"_Perhaps_ First Enchanted Irvin will be able to answer our question," Wynne suggested, cutting the two off before a pointless argument could commence.

"It seems we should make a trip to the Circle then," Lenora said. She turned to those from another world. "We'll tell you our tale along the way."

x x x

"It seems that every world, if there be more, is plagued by some type of evil," Legolas said lamentedly as they traveled the road that would take them to Lake Calenhad.

Lenora walked beside of the tall elf, and looked up at him as he spoke. Ever the optimist, she replied with, "Without evil there cannot be good."

"Truer words have never been spoken," Wynne agreed. She sat atop Bodahn's horse that pulled his cart. She had been feeling increasingly faint on their journey until the kind elf had offered his steed to her. He still drove the cart, and the wizard Gandalf walked beside of her. They seemed to have made fast friends, probably owing to the fact that both were fascinated in the magical differences of their worlds.

"And Flemeth believes that your ring has something to do with the Archdemon?" Morrigan asked skeptically. Her arms were crossed as she walked, and she regarded Frodo from down her nose.

"She is a witch of this world," Aragorn said, giving the apostate woman a mistrustingly look.

"She is also my mother," Morrigan replied calmly to the man. A small smirk pulled at her lips when his eyes widened in surprise. The smallest of reactions, but it seemed to give her satisfaction.

"We can't discount any theories just yet," Lenora said, glancing over her shoulder at the two disapprovingly. "And Flemeth has been around for centuries—she may just know what she's talking about."

"Oh, I never doubted her," Morrigan replied loftily as she regarded the baby blue, cloudless sky. It seemed to disgust Her Darkness.

After some silence, the discussion melded into the folks from Middle Earth asking questions about this world. How was the land divided? Who ruled? What other creatures and races were there? What exactly were Darkspawn and where did they come from? Was the Archdemon really once a god?

* * *

**Story Abandonment Explanation**

I started this story simply because one night while I was up late playing one of my many Dragon Age: Origins playthroughs, I had the frivolous thought that the DA:O party had a lot of similarities to the characters in Lord of the Rings. I started this story just to explore those similarities, but I developed it more seriously than I ever intended. Now I find myself in a dilemma: I love the idea I have, but I've gotten in too deep. I can continue and ignore a lot of important LoTR canon, or I can rewrite it and take away what I like so far. So I decided to just abandon the story. Maybe one day I'll try again?

Sorry. :'(


End file.
